Tips from my Apple Store Los Gatos Talk: "Using your Mac and Social Media to Build your Brand"

As a big fan of all things Apple, it was a thrill for me to present my talk on social media at the Apple Store in Los Gatos on Wednesday, October 7. The focus of my talk, titled "Using your Mac and Social Media to Build Your Brand," was how to set up an account on Twitter and how to use it effectively. I have posted "The Golden Rule of Twitter" and some tips, below, on what to tweet about for your business.



 I felt like a superstar with this promo made by Apple.

COMING UP in November at the Capitola Book Cafe in Capitola, California!
My next two talks on social media are set for Wednesday, Nov. 11 (evening) and Saturday, Nov. 14 (morning). Please check the with store for details on class topics and times. Call to register: 831-462-4415.  Prepay is required to reserve a spot.  I hope also to have dates soon for my next Apple Store talks!

Golden Rule of Twitter

Don’t use Twitter to talk about yourself and your services constantly.
Your Tweets should be:
• 80% about others
• 20% about yourself and business

Keep reading to find out what you can tweet about!

Special thanks to Apple's Mari Anderson, Mark Macsurak, and Andrew Kaiser for making my first talk at the Apple Store Los Gatos so much fun and run so smoothly!

 What to Tweet about In Your Own Business:

• New product release
• Significant changes to existing product
• Changes in corporate name or logo
• New website
• Events, e.g. open house, awards, presentations
• New funding
• Major personnel changes
• Increase in market share
• Corporate philanthropy, e.g. volunteer work, donations
• Hiring of agencies, e.g. PR, accounting, law
• New partner or significant new customer
• Milestones, e.g. customers served, anniversary

What to Tweet About Otherwise:

Think about topics that are related to your business and/or area of interest that your customers/clients/friends on Twitter will find of interest. The majority of these Twitter posts, called "tweets," will contain links to articles. To find articles of interest you can:

• Read your local news online

• Monitor websites and newsletters of groups and professional associations you belong to

• Keep an eye out for breaking news in your industry online (i.e. New York Times tech section)

• See what your colleagues are tweeting about and "retweet" them

• Look out for general business advice and tips that others will find useful

To Shorten the URLs that you Tweet:
• Use http://bit.ly

Still confused by Twitter? 

One of the best resources to learn about Twitter is right on its website:

http://help.twitter.com